Shape Shifters
by Castles in the sky
Summary: CHAPTER 7 NOW UP! Wes, Eric and the Wildforce Rangers have been plunged into the future. Here, in the year 3003, Jen is thought insane, and Alex is hiding a deadly secret that will change the world when it is revealed. R&R Plz!
1. Into The Future

Shape Shifters  
  
Summary: Wes, Eric, and the Wildforce Rangers have been plunged into the future. Here, in the year 3003, Jen is thought insane, Katie is coming to grips with a guilty conscience, and Alex is hiding a deadly secret that will change the world when it is revealed. Reviews please!!  
  
A/N: This is set just after the end of the Wildforce series, and they are celebrating defeating the orgs when this story starts. " " = Speaking. { } =Thinking Oh, and I don't own any characters except Cassandra Collins, (Or Cassie, as she prefers to be called.) Enjoy!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
They had been partying all night. On the Animarium, 6 Rangers were revelling in the thrill of just defeat Master Org and his minions. Now they were relaxing, and were planning on a vacation away to really chill out. Princess Shayla had been the most worn out tonight, and she retired to her bed long before the Rangers themselves staggered to their separate slumbers.  
  
"Cole, you....don't mind me...crashing here.... tonight, - do you?" Merrick swayed with sleepiness as he attempted some form of communication.  
  
"Ah,.... Merrick,.... you know...we...don't mind. Take the...spare bed, if you want, or...there's room... in my bed." Cole stumbled over every sentence, and fell forward into the cave they had just stopped in front of. "Ouch." slurred Cole.  
  
"I'll,.... just go take.... the spare bed.... thanks. See...you...tomorrow." Merrick staggered off to his bed for the night, and collapsed on top of it, still in his clothing. Sleep clouded his vision before he even hit the bed. His mind was filled of tempting dreams of Princess Shayla all night, and he smiled, peacefully.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
In the year 3003, a certain Alexander Cullins (A/N: I figured the surname 'Collins' might just change after a century or two!) stalked angrily around his office. He had terrorised at least 6 new recruits with his fearsome attitude, and was even angrier that Cassie had rejected him.  
  
Cassie, who was Jen and Wes' daughter, had lived with her mother in the 22nd century all her life. At her young age now of 2, she had always accepted Alex as her father. Then the hurt and pain of rejection came for Alex when Cassie pushed him away, and refused to even look at him. If anything, she certainly had her mother's fiery personality.  
  
"Ashton! Where are the reports?" Alex barked at a nervous-looking officer.  
  
"I'm...just...getting them.... Sir...." the officer shyly replied.  
  
"Not good enough! Go and get them at once!" Fury and anger rose in his throat as he practically shouted at the terrified officer.  
  
"Yes Sir! I'll have them down here in three minutes!" the officer squeaked.  
  
"Two if you value your job."  
  
The young officer called Ashton gulped, and hurried out of the room. Alex sighed, and relaxed in his comfortable chair.  
  
If the prophecy was correct, and he had read the Akailo the right way, then the Arctic Circle Legend was true.  
  
And only he could prevent the danger coming.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Alyssa's eyes slowly opened. She had a major hangover from the night before, and moving her head wasn't exactly easy.  
  
Staggering out of her little cave, she was amazed to see just about everyone else with equally sore heads, and quickly made up a good theory:  
  
Drinking and fighting orgs would never go together, and it was a good thing that they never had done so until then.  
  
At that moment, the fountain sent up a spray of water that always indicated an org. But they had defeated all the orgs, so why were they back now?  
  
"Rangers, there must be another org that you have not stopped. It cannot be Toxica and Jindrax, because they are no longer recognised as dangerous. Hurry, you must go! Princess Shayla's voice was lined with worry, mainly on the fact that the orgs had all been destroyed, and there was no way they could return.  
  
The Rangers, all morphed, dashed along a street full of wreckage to the creature at the end. A huge, 9-foot org stood there, blood staining his massive horns that poked up in front of his scaly head and back. The creature's hands weren't even hands, they were hellhound paws, with extraordinarily sharp claws on each one. Equally strange paws formed his feet that again, had the amazingly sharp claws. It's eyes were thin narrow slits, with tiny pupils in between. The creature wore thin strips of cloth to protect its modesty, and glared at the woozy rangers standing in front of it.  
  
The glare changed to that of a comical expression when it saw it's opponents. The layer upon layer of fangs that resisided inside it's mouth formed an evil grin, as it stepped forwards to claim the victory. The scaly green skin cracked under the intense pressure of its thousand tons of weight. Then, it took up the fist blow.  
  
The tired, zoned out rangers fell to the floor one by one. They were knocked down like skittles, and Cole ended up with a pounding headache after being thrown, head first at a nearby building wall. Alyssa was smacked in the stomach, winding her, and was then thrown into a stack of crates. As they went down, they demorphed one after the other until everyone lay stranded and in despair of ever defeating this org.  
  
At that moment, a shot caused the org to retreat, and back away from Taylor, whom he had been going to torture further.  
  
Wes and Eric, with a whole bunch of Silver Guardians, stepped down from a van, and launched into an attack on the org. Every man was knocked away as if they were rag dolls. Wes and Eric morphed, and attempted to bring down the monster. The org anticipated their attempt, and snatched Wes' up as soon as he approached, swinging him violently above the horns, before flinging him away. Wes hit the floor, and the darkness of unconsciousness met his head temporarily.  
  
Eric meanwhile, was yanked upwards, kicked viciously in the head, and shoved away by a single punch in the stomach. He came smashing down, and landed, cut, bruised and beaten, in another pile of crates.  
  
The org stepped back. Another, cloaked creature came forward, but the few Rangers who were still conscious couldn't see anything of this new creature courtesy of the cloak. Its height was of roughly 11 foot, (That is tall people!) and he whispered in a strange language to the uncloaked org.  
  
"Siquend! Keh Ii hed ugd thauque. Jans hebh likb verj!" The cloaked creature spoke barely above a whisper.  
  
{So the org is called Siquend?} Pondered Taylor, who was one of 3 still conscious.  
  
"And now Rangers, I will plunge you into the future, where the Master's Evil reigns. There you will perish under the flame!" The cloaked figure appeared to be old for his height.  
  
{He can speak English?} But Eric's mind was in no mood for thinking hard right now.  
  
"Yes human, I can speak your language. I can read your thoughts." Again, the barely heard whisper. The cloaked creature stepped forward, and, raising his head to the skies, screeched out a long forgotten language of the Underworld.  
  
"Closure! Mg dras tbh theng thao neow meing! Florlg flagind deffisd! Ghy flg, ghy flg, gindo thra. Senod heun heto plun." It was amazing to think that this hooded freak had been rasping over his words like a granddad a minute ago. As the creature finished his strange language display, a time portal opened. But this portal wasn't in the sky as it normally was. This time, it was right down next to the ground, the very bottom of the lightning streaked hole in time gently touching the floor.  
  
"Hehe. Nighty night Rangers." And with that, the hooded general summoned up Artic winds that easily picked up the battered and bruised Rangers. They were all gathered together, and thrown forwards, all in one group, through the portal.  
  
"Excellent job Master." Siquend grunted.  
  
"Yes," replied his Master, as they watched the portal close, "a good job indeed."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Gothic: So what did you think? I worked flat out to make this go together, and I'd love some reviews on it. Oh, and the strange language Siquend's Master was speaking isn't an actual language of the world, it is a good jumble of letters that I flung together. They turned out good didn't they? Plz don't diss me 'cause of this. 


	2. SOS: Save Our Souls

Shape Shifters.  
  
Gothic: Well I'm back!! I hope you take a few minutes to review. The WFR meet the 4 other TFR for the 2nd time ever in this chapter, but I'm saying no more! And I don't own it, so don't sue me!! R&R plz!!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The Rangers found themselves lying on a smooth, shiny cold floor. There were noises everywhere, and a futuristic glimmer hung about every object. They all staggered up, - and found several hundred guns aimed at them.  
  
"Don't move another footstep, or we shoot!" A commanding officer shouted.  
  
The Rangers huddled together, and allowed the police officers to lead them into huge vans. These vans were bigger than they looked, and had that same cold, scientific glimmer to them. It was easy to see, from looking at one another, that they were all beginning to get very nervous. Chains and handcuffs were brought in, and every Ranger was chained up.  
  
At the main HQ, Trip lent on the balcony, resting his tired body. He watched the vans come in, unaware that his old friends were been held in one of them. He found himself in a daze, wandering back through time to his girlfriend, who he would see soon, when she came back from her holiday.  
  
"Hey, Trip." Trip turned to see Katie standing there. "There's some new prisoners in, we gotta go sort them out."  
  
"Sure thing. I'll be right there."  
  
They wandered down; where Cole's shaky voice could be heard.  
  
"Katie, doesn't that voice sound familiar? It reminds me of Cole."  
  
"Don't be stupid. You know they're in the Year 2003."  
  
Upon turning the next corner, they were shocked to find the WF rangers, Wes and Eric in cages, all locked up. Cole was being interrogated, and the others looked terrified.  
  
"Hey!" Katie began. "What are you doing?"  
  
"They're strangers from another time dimension. We must find out how they got here and why!"  
  
"But..." Lucas stopped Katie in mid sentence.  
  
"Come on. We'll get them outta there by pulling up a file. If we can get to our files, then there'll be proof of who they are on there."  
  
After 2 very long hours, the offending officers gave in, and allowed the WF Rangers to go free.  
  
"Don't worry Sir, we'll deliver them home." Lucas flashed them his famous grin before leading the tired Rangers out of the cell. They trotted along beside the dominant Lucas, who had done all the fighting for them. It was Wes who asked them the Big Question; they had all been dreading.  
  
"Hey, guys. Where's Jen?"  
  
"Um...." tension ran in Lucas' head as he spoke, "um.... Trip answer that one would ya?"  
  
"Yeah, okay." Trip looked grim as he led Wes into a small room to talk. "Well, we were wondering when you'd ask. If you must know, Jen has been locked up, by order of the Council. They say she's insane."  
  
"What??!!" Wes cried in disbelief. "Jen's not insane!"  
  
"Yes, but it's not Jens fault. They've locked her away in the secure section here, because of her beliefs, - not her sanity." Trip lowered his head to try and avoid the outburst.  
  
"I don't understand. Why on her beliefs?"  
  
"Because, we have a new Captain. Captain Logan was killed about 3 months ago. The new guy that came in ordered that we were not to dwell on anything from our pasts. In fact, a whole new load of law and regulations came in. But anyway, this particular one, Jen wasn't very happy about. She refused to forget anything from your time, and was very defiant when it came to forgetting you. Her love for you was that great, that she was willing to be locked up in there."  
  
"I see.um."  
  
"Hey, it's alright." Trip, who could see Wes was a bit at a loss for words, tried to comfort him. "I can take you to see her. She'll know you're here."  
  
Wes could only stare, lost in his thoughts.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Gothic: Well, I tried to leave a bit of a cliffie this time. I'm still not certain whether it is or not. Please tell me! Next chappie up as soon as I can!! 


	3. Jen's Little Cell

Shape Shifters  
  
Gothic: Well, I used a bit of help from Microsoft Word this time. I'm using the bold, italics, and underline tags, as well as spelling and grammar. Thanks to all who reviewed, it means a lot to me. Hopefully, all my stories will be done in Word now. Oh, and I don't own it, so don't sue me.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Trip and Lucas led the way down the corridor. As they approached the double doors at the end, the tension ran through everyone. Trip swished a card down through the hole, and the doors slid open. Then, Trip carefully held his eye up to the solid wall they were facing. It scanned his eye with a hidden laser, and the wall fell downwards into the floor. They stepped through, and were led by two officers to the cells.  
  
"Keep quiet." Whispered Trip. "Some of them can hear you, and make a terrible struggle to get out. It takes at least 2 hours to calm some of them down."  
  
"Jen doesn't do that, - does she?" Max was clearly curious.  
  
"No, but she does rattle things about a bit. Everyone tries to get out, - some are just wiser than others."  
  
They came to a block of 5 cells. They had the same appearance as toilet doors. You couldn't see into the cells and see the prisoners inside. They also had mainly the same size as toilets, but were slightly bigger.  
  
"You see that middle cell there? That's the one Jen's in." Lucas was attempting to keep his voice low, but didn't get very far.  
  
A scratching came at the middle door instantly. Whimpers, similar to those of a cat or dog could be heard. Everyone stared, as Jen attempted to get past the door, desperate to see her visitors, unable to get through.  
  
"So. You've found out then." They turned to see Alex standing there, looking grim as ever. He swept past them, and angrily smashed his fist against the cell door. A high-pitched whimper called out for help, as the scratching died instantly.  
  
"What did you do that for?" Cole called out in annoyance. "She sounds lonely, being locked up in that place."  
  
"Shh! Don't disturb the other prisoners!" Trip hissed. Jen gave another lonely whimper, - causing Alex to bash his fist against the solid steel door. Thankfully, no others heard them, but it was dreadful hearing her pain and misery.  
  
They exited from the sad building, and proceeded along in silence. Cole seemed especially quiet, as Alex had given him an ear bashing before he left. He had though, promised they could at least see Jen in person, (well actually from behind a solid glass wall..) at some point.  
  
Everyone was depressed that evening. The girls were currently staying with Katie, whereas Trip had Cole, Merrick, and Danny, and Lucas, Max, Wes and Eric. Wes stared up into the starry heavens, wondering if he would ever see Jen again.  
  
The screams from inside jolted him out of his thoughts.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Gothic: Next chappie up as soon as I write it! Currently, I am working on cliff hangers, punctuation and plots. ( i.e.: What will happen to Jen? What has happen inside to disturb Wes?) All will be revealed soon! 


	4. Freedom Comes With A Price

Shape Shifters  
  
Gothic: Thanks and praise to all who reviewed!! It means a lot to me. This chappie is where things get a bit exciting, and you get to discover Alex's little secret!!! Plz keep R&R!!! Oh, and my kitty, (My Office Assistant in Word,) wants to say something.  
  
Kitty: Hi everyone! Do you know how many times I have to read these damned chapters? She will make me do spelling checks. u_u. Now, on with the reading, and make my life easier! Oh, and the disclaimer is in the first chapter.  
  
" " = Speaking { } = Thinking  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Wes bolted back inside to the source of the screams. He found Max with a huge bird-eating spider at his feet. It kept jumping over his trembling ankles, and he was trying to keep still and quiet. Max suddenly screamed again.  
  
"Max! The quieter you are, the less likely it is that you'll get attacked by that nasty thing." Eric called out from his hiding place behind Lucas.  
  
"That's alright for you to say, - you're not the one with this 'thing' around your legs." He was getting pale from shock, and Wes quickly realised that he would have to intervene. Ducking behind Lucas, he grabbed an empty container that was lying on the floor:  
  
and clamped it over the huge spider.  
  
Tension that had been building up around the room fell, and everyone suddenly seemed to let out a breath of air that they had been keeping in.  
  
"So the screams were because of a spider? Big, I know, but that was scary?" Wes questioned the tired Rangers.  
  
"Yeah, we were scared. I have Arachnophobia you know." Max collapsed, wearily, into a nearby chair. "Can we go to bed now?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
In an office, deep in the Timeforce HQ, Alex was bent over a desk, trying to decipher a round, brass looking object. It had that 'brassy' colour and texture to it. There were three sections to the middle of the object, with diamonds and crystals bordering the three areas. A needle was at the very centre point, where the lines forming those three sections met. This also had diamonds embedded in it, and the whole thing was very heavy.  
  
This, round, mysterious, brassy object was the Akailo. He had the ability to 'read' this object, and learn amazing things. Focusing one's mind on whatever you wanted to know about the future gave one the ability to succeed in this 'reading.' Alex now bent over the three sections, and waited as his mind asked the questions.  
  
{So it is true! The Arctic Circle legend is true! This will surely change the entire world's view on the strange happens that have been going on in the Arctic.}  
  
Alex carefully placed the instrument into a Chinese looking box. Sealing it shut with his padlock, he placed the little thing back into his personal safe inside the wall.  
  
He smirked at the other little 'fact' the Akailo had told him. He wasn't planning on sharing until he was certain that the time was right.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~e was  
  
In her cell, not far away, Jen was restlessly pacing what space she had in desperation.  
  
{I have to get out of here! I want to see them! This little block goes the outside path back to the main HQ. If I can just get back along, then I might stand a chance of avoiding capture. Oh man is this ever frustrating!}  
  
She was startled out of her thoughts as she heard the guards come in. They unlocked the cell door, and stepped back. Amazed, Jen timidly pulled the door back, and was astounded that it came open so easily. They immediately pushed their way into the cell, and dragged Jen out. Jen didn't struggle, but was stunned by her next thought:  
  
{I can escape! All I have to do is barge my way out when I get the chance! Yes!}  
  
Jen was led along in the centre of 8 guards, who formed a circle around her. They kept her trapped amongst them, unaware of the plans being silently created in Jens troubled mind. These guards were only taking her to the viewing area, where the others would be able to see her for the first time since they had come to the future. As they marched along, Jen doing her best to keep up with them in the middle, a glass door came into view. Outside, Jen could see the remains of where it had rained earlier, and grew excited. The doors were shoved open by two more guards that had been standing on duty there. As they pushed Jen out into the open, the scent of the damp air from the rain met her nostrils. The sights, the smells, the thought of the thousand men who had walked this path many years before her drove her insane.  
  
The guards never saw the birds that had been shot plummet down to earth.  
  
They were aware, when the beautiful blackbirds with their shiny feathers fell out of the sky in rains of blood. They hit the floor, leaving big splodges of blood everywhere. The poachers, who had been shooting the blackbirds, ran as they noticed the officers. The officers dived to avoid the falling birds, forgetting Jen for a moment. Jen didn't hesitate. She ducked through the nearest gap with the skill and grace of a cat, jumped over a nearby bird, and fled for the nearest hiding place. Running for the building on the other side, as they were practically on a rooftop, with two tower buildings on either side. Jen dashed for the metal doors, and pushed her way through the entrance as she got to them. Rolling over, she landed on her back, against a wall, - with no one in sight.  
  
The guards meanwhile barely noticed Jen's escape. Two first noticed her fleeing for the doors and gave chase. The others quickly followed. Inside, Jen realised that she did not have much time. Racing for the staircase, she pushed forward, and the next minute, was dashing down the stairs as fast as she could. The guards, having no idea where Jen had gone, quickly alerted ground control at the main office.  
  
Jen knew she didn't have much time before others were told of her escape. Hoping that her friends would not be blamed for this, she reached the bottom, and darted along several corridors. Not recognising her, the officers she did meet along there made no attempt to stop her. Finally, one of the main exits came in sight. Trying to look as normal as possible, Jen pushed into the crowd, and keeping her head low, managed to find the outdoors. Setting off along a path, with the wind blowing in her face, Jen felt happier than she had ever done, with freedom on the way.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Gothic: So, did I describe Jen's escape deeply enough? I tried to dedicate an entire section of the chapter to her, and think I succeeded. Please tell me if I did. Reviews plz!! And I will be back once I have decided completely what happens next, and get my next story up!! I may put a little musical piece into my next one as well, it all depends!!! 


	5. Not Gonna Take Me Back There

Shape Shifters 

Gothic: Well, despite the fact that my fingers should be resting, I am determined to write and update for you. I may be slower getting through later chapters but it shouldn't take me more than a week to get used to it. Lets hope Gothic survives!! Oh, and as usual: - 

 _{thinking}   _"talking" And WF is my abbreviation of 'Wildforce', as in the Wildforce Rangers.

Kitty: Well you should know me by now. I hope you are reviewing and making life in the cyber world easier for me.  I'll be helping Gothic thought this, and hopefully her spelling when she types will get better. Now onto the story, and as usual, Gothic doesn't own anything, so don't sue her.

~~~~~~~~~

Jen wandered for hours before coming to a decent place to spend the night. Evening was settling in, and she didn't want to be noticed _too_ easily. She was unaware of the eyes following her, as she took to another alleyway. 

Back at the Timeforce HQ, the poachers who had been caught, and admitted that they hadn't realised the officers with Jen were there, were locked up for the night. They had also admitted that the birds had just happened to be flying overhead at the time, and they were waiting there for the right moment to shoot. Meanwhile, the main case was the escape of Jen. The officers who had allowed her escape were relieved from their duties, and had been let home early.  A lot of top officers, including Alex were on the case, with Katie and the others trying to help. They had been blamed for the escape, and despite trying to claim their innocence, they had also been relieved from their duties, and let free too. They had one remaining job to do: to report any information on Jen's whereabouts to the Timeforce. After several minutes of complaining, they agreed to the terms. As they set off, they moaned and complained amongst themselves:

"It's unfair! We had nothing to do with Jen's escape! She got out of there by her own free will. We shouldn't have to be responsible for that." Trip willingly started off the grand debate for the evening.

"And Alex would have to go off to the deep end wouldn't he? Typical." Katie was the next to put in a 'comment.'

"But it _does_ seem awfully suspicious though. The others show up, they want to see Jen, and then Jen escapes. I reckon those poachers were planted there deliberately." Lucas, serious as ever, stated the most obvious fact of the conversation. They were walking towards their motorcycles as they spoke.

"Well, I have to say, I agree with Lucas," Katie, siding with Lucas, defended the serious leader. " I mean, if you look at it in enough depth, there's obviously been something that's been set up in this case." 

Lucas had been the leader ever since Jen had been locked up.  He had always respected Jens good quality leadership skills in the group, and when their main strength in the group was gone, they had needed someone to be strong enough to take her place. Lucas had naturally filled the spot. Now he stayed silent, and prayed that there had been no set up in the escape. 

There was a meeting that night in Trips apartment. They had been discussing the main theme at the moment, and then went onto interrogation. They questioned the others over whether anything had been set up by them, and tried to get answers out of the constant 'no's. When the phone rang, everyone was slightly put out of it by the ringing. Trip got up as fast as he could, and dashed for the monitor on the nearby table. Pressing the right buttons, he quickly brought up an image of their new Captain:

"There has been a sighting. You are to go and investigate, for it is rumoured that she may communicate better with you. If you can capture her, then go for it. You have permission to restrain her if necessary, although things may not get as bad as that."

They all stared at that, amazed that such violence could occur because of this. But still, they determinedly set out. 

                                                                                                 ~~~~~~~~~~

Deciding that the WF Rangers would probably fare better against Jen, just in case she did try to attack them, they posted them around the area where Jen had been sighted. Jen had actually been sighted around a building area, and by the time the Rangers got there, she had made her way to the roof. All 11 rangers made their way to the rooftop as silently as possible. The WF rangers determinedly took up the challenge, forming a neat circle around her, invisible in the darkness. It seemed impossible that Jen could of heard them, but apparently she did, for Jen whirled around in the night air the second they were all in position.

{What are they doing here? I know they're there, I can sense it. They're not gonna lock me back up again.}

Gathering that the jig was up, the WF Rangers, Wes and Eric moved out and attempted to get closer to Jen. She darted out of the way, and rushed for the nearest exit. Taylor moved in to block her way, shoving her back, trying not to hurt her. Jen stumbled back, and was pounced upon, by Max and Danny. They clamped down on her surprisingly sharp nails, her limbs thrashing out all the while.  Jen fought like a little wildcat, slashing with good skill, but leaving some bleeding wounds on Max and Danny. They eventually staggered back, wounds bleeding badly, blood running in rivets down their bodies. Jen moved in for the kill, pulling Max up, drawing a sharp fingernail across his cheek. She flung him away from her, and he hit Cole, who had been advancing on the little cat fight going on. 

"Come on guys! She's too strong! Lets go!" Merrick shouted out a plea from his corner, and dashed for the only exit himself. He was stopped by Jen, who flipped herself over to the exit, and blocked his path completely. 

_{He's not going anywhere yet…}_

Merrick was wounded badly by Jens slashes to his body. A deepish gash in his stomach was pouring out blood, and Merrick fell to the ground.  Cole pushed his way out from underneath Max,  and watched as Jen pushed Taylor out of the way, forcing her back into the shadows where the other three Timeforce rangers were. Max and Danny, were both too badly hurt to continue in the fight, and Cole rushed to Merrick, or rather in his direction. He never reached Merrick,  Jen was there in two spilt seconds, and backhanded him away. The nearest three rangers to Jen, Cole Wes and Eric, as Merrick was unconscious, heard a rather strange noise then. A sort of hissing sound, the sort a cat might make if frightened and trying to defend itself, came from Jen. The 'hissing' knocked everyone's  concentration for a split second. The second was enough time for Jen, as she lunged at Cole, and pushed him roughly backwards. Her nails dug into Cole's shoulders, hurting him, and he was an easy target to defeat. Cole tumbled over Merrick, she had pushed him that far back, and despite his own injuries, Cole desperately tried to rouse his friend. 

Wes, Eric and Alyssa were the only rangers left now. They surrounded Jen in a tight knit circle, and her eyes flicked from one of them to another. Alyssa was the first to rush in. A glimmer shone in Jens eyes, and she ducked down, darting forward and tripping up Alyssa. She fell heavily behind Jen, as Eric and Wes went in together. Wes was shoved backwards, his shirt ripped in the process. Eric saw a good chance. He waited a few seconds, making sure Jen was still focused on Wes. When she was right behind him, Eric locked contact with Wes, and he knew what Eric was going to do. Then, Eric sprang forward, and put all his weight behind Jen. As he caught her off guard, Jen fell forward, - right into Wes. It only took Jen two seconds to recover, but Wes had Jen as tightly as he could in his grip. She struggled, and thrashed about, but Wes held on, trying to contain her. In all of this, the two had moved closer and closer to a skylight. When Jen struck out again, Wes lost his balance, and toppled to the floor, right next to the skylight. Wes accidentally pulled Jen down with him, and as she fell, her head hit the skylight. The hit to the head was enough, and Jen collapsed in Wes arms, woozy and practically unconscious.

Sensing that there was no more danger from her, Wes managed to pull himself up, and inspect the wounds on both of them. She had a bump on her head, and he was covered in scratches. The other three crept out of the shadows, Katie tending to Taylor's wounds. Wes merely looked at the now unconscious Jen, sleeping in his arms. Little did they know the truth about the violent attack Jen had launched upon them….

~~~~~~~~~~

Gothic: Well? Was my fight good enough? Again, I tried to dedicate a section to the fight, and (think I). I did explain why the poachers were there, even though there's still a bit of a mystery behind them. There was actually a clue in this chapter that reveals part of the main plot. Lets see if you can work it out!! 


	6. Crouching Lies, Hidden Secrets

Shape Shifters

****

Gothic: Sorry you've had to wait a while for an update. I had writer's black, and lost the urge to write. Now here's my 2nd attempt at the 6th chapter of Shape Shifters. (Minus the A/N's of course!)  Following cmar's tips, I'm going to try and make things a bit better!

Kitty: I'll try and help her out, and as usual, she doesn't own it, so don't sue her.

Gothic: I can't own anything anyway. I'm as poor as a church mouse. Now on with the ficcie! Reviews back please! And this rewritten version has a completely different storyline, so be careful not to get lost! And as usual…. "talking" _ {thinking}_

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Jen awoke in the early hours of the next morning. Her head rung from where she'd hit her head on the skylight, and her body felt as if she'd fought to the death. Which, surprisingly enough, she had done.  Pushing her body up, she located herself to be in Trip's house. Trip's three-storey house, as three storeys were actually common in the year 3003, had been handed down to Trip from his late grandfather, who had been the first in his family to reach Earth. Trip had come along later on. 

Jen's lithe body easily slid out of the bed she'd been placed in, and crept silently towards the door. The door, surprisingly enough, had been left unlocked, and her little hands carefully pushed the door open. 

_{This was easier than I thought. Now where was the exit again?}_

Jen easily found her way to the back door, as she was on the ground floor.  Visions filled her mind as she stepped out of the again, unlocked door. 

_{Do they have no sense at all? All the doors are quite happily open and ready for me to walk out of.}_

The visions that filled her mind were ones of hatred, pain, and above all, the hurt feelings of loneliness. The deep depressing feelings of being alone and trapped in that cold metal cell filled her with hatred for the world. But then again, there was the worse factor of the whole situation.  

A grey wild cat, with black and brown stripes, and a bushy tail, padded down the garden path, and slipped out of the gate. 

Back inside, a major hunt was taking place in the desperation of finding Jen. No one knew where she was, although the security of the house told Trip that Jen had left the building. Trip and Lucas were searching the upstairs, Alyssa and Taylor took the second level, and Wes and Eric were on the ground floor. Katie was searching the attic, a.k.a.: Trip's bedroom, whilst Max and Danny wandered aimlessly from room to room, looking for the odd clues here and there. 

"She's definitely been here in the kitchen. The back door's open and it wasn't before." Eric pushed the swaying door as he spoke.

"Well, where is she now? The back gate would still be open too, if she'd…gone…out…of…it.." Wes stopped in realisation. "Eric? She's gone out of the back gate, and is definitely missing.

"What, she just locked the back gate behind her? I don't think so. If the back door's swinging open quite happily, then the gate would be too, if she'd gone out of it."

The black striped wild cat suddenly slipped through the gate. Wes and Eric saw the cat, but didn't jump to any conclusions.  

"Hey, look at that Wes. A genuine wild cat. Don't get many of them even in our own time." The wild cat stopped at Eric, and curiously sniffed his legs. 

{Well, well, well. Eric and Wes lurking in the garden. Three wild guesses as to why they're here.}

All the same, the cat rubbed her head against Eric legs, before going and purring around Wes' ankles.   
  
" I think it's a 'she' cat. Would explain the affection." Wes stroked the cat, completely unaware of who, or even more precise, what this cat really was.  

Eric however, wasn't completely fooled by the cat's 'appearance'. Something was very different about this cat, and he wasn't sure exactly what it was.

As they turned to go back inside, the cat trotted alongside them, happy as ever.

{Wild cats do not associate with humans all that often. In fact, it's extraordinarily rare for them to. What's different about this cat?} 

Eric was so busy thinking about this theory, that he wasn't really concentrating on where he was going. He tripped on the step and came crashing down onto the hard metal floor. The cat immediately jumped up onto his back, and meowed at Wes.  

"Hey, are you alright? Come on kitty, off Eric's back." Wes shooed the cat off, and helped Eric up. He had a spilt lip, and several cuts and grazes on his hands and knees.

"I'll be okay. Fighting Jen was worse." This remark earned the two a 'disgusted' meow from the cat.

_{Maybe it is true..Maybe this cat **is** Jen… But that can't be right, she's human, not a cat…} _

Eric's head rang all the more. The thought of the cat being Jen made him want to puke, **seriously.**  The cat had begun to meow continuously, scratching at the door. Wes let her in, and she ran for the stairs. Whilst Max and Danny, who had found their way down to the ground level, tended to Eric's spilt lip, Wes followed the cat upstairs.

_{Oh no_, _please don't follow me up here Wes, please don't…} _

The cat changed instantly into Jen, who ran for a cupboard that was big enough to take all of her. Thoughts ran through her head all the more. Memories, images, the sound of the scientists who changed her, mutated her, into the terrified cat that had fled from Wes.  The memories of that dark, dank cold cage they had locked her in rushed back in, and she hated the scientists who had changed her forever. She didn't hear the footsteps of Wes, as he located her to be inside the cupboard from the little 'moping' noises that appeared to come from behind the closed door.

"Jen? Are you in there? We've already checked, but are you there?" Wes slowly pulled open the door. Jen kept her cool composure, and forced herself to look at Wes.

"What do you want?" Jen spoke in a dull, tired sounding voice that appeared to of changed slightly. 

"I was chasing the kitty that dashed up here in fright. Then I found you in this handy nearby cupboard." Jen forced herself to laugh, in just the slightest way.

"And I was also gonna ask you to file your nails down a bit. They're rather on the sharp side." Jen studied the playful look on Wes' face. Would it hurt to tell him the truth? 

{Well I'll have to try. Whether he'll hate me or not is undecided. I hope he'll take it okay.}

"Hey, my nails don't need filing down yet. Wait until I'm angry and ready to kick your sorry buts again." This earned her a disgruntled look from Wes. 

"Well you did go mental on us. What did you think we were gonna do, have you locked up in that creepy cage again?" Wes studied Jen, and noted the sheepish look given in return.

"Well…yeah,sort..of. It was really in self defence, 'cause I naturally thought you were all just going to chuck me back in that metal cage."

"And in which century was this going to happen? The 21st Century?  Oh sorry, make that the 31st Century." Jen did smile at that, and gave a little giggle. She looked incredibly pale, as if she'd been starved for a long time. Also, she looked thinner, but her eyes shone with a feline glimmer. 

"But if I told what they do to 'insane' people in there, well in my case 'supposedly insane', then you would definitely keep me away from that scientific hellhole." Her eyes took on a more defensive stare, and she focused on Wes confused eyes. 

"What do you mean? What's so 'terrible' in there that you had to escape?" Wes noticed that Jen was finding it difficult to speak about it. 

"Well, because they think we're never going to get out of there, the scientists who examine the physical abilities of each prisoner decided to conduct a few 'experiments'. "

"What kind of experiments? Do they take prisoners apart or something?" Wes looked severely confused and worried now. Had they hurt Jen?"

"Worse. The experiments involve removing an important part of human DNA, and then replacing that missing DNA with animal genes. If the experiment is successful, the human and animal genes merge together, changing the person, and giving them the ability to…to well.. 'Shape shift' into the animal their DNA has been merged with." Jen shuddered as she finished, and remembered the screams of the dying prisoners, and the scientists calling out 'next'. 

"So what happened if the experiment went wrong?" Wes was clearly disgusted with the mere thought of innocent humans being changed and mutated against their own will.

"They.." Jen's voice became slightly tearful. "They..die. The part of their genes that is removed they need to live. The animal genes contain the DNA they need. But…if human genes reject animal genes, then…" A single tear ran down Jen's cheek. She wiped it away, unable to say anymore.

"Oh Jen." Wes hugged her, and she willingly let her head lie against Wes' shoulder. 

_{But then, have they done this to Jen? Has she suffered pain and misery in there?  Do people die? Does Alex know about this?} _

The questions ran through Wes head, with little answers. The only way to get those answers would be to ask Jen. But did he really want to know?

"And what about you then? Have they done this to you?"  Wes felt sick to his stomach, but he had to know. Softly, Jen whispered into his ear, unwilling to speak aloud.

" Well, I didn't die. That's a start. It hurt a lot, but yes, they did play around with my genes a bit." Jen stepped back, and could only watch as a tear ran down Wes' face, the bleak expression speaking for him.  She hugged him again, letting him take in all of the things that were different about her. This wasn't much on the outside, but on the _inside,_ a lot of things had changed dramatically.

"So, does Alex know about this? He seemed to be…well, highly involved in the development of the area." Wes was still stunned by everything going into his head. 

"Alex? Well, he kinda….funds the experiments." Jen, who had been prepared for Wes next reaction, felt so sorry for him, having to go through listening to all these tales of torture and misery. " He's also involved in the studies, and interests of the mutation through altering genes."

If Wes had not been holding onto Jen, he would of most likely fallen backwards from shock. 

Tears began in both their eyes.

They cried tears of pity, love and misery into each other, as they embraced all over again.

Neither of them noticed the snowy white owl resting on the window ledge of the nearby window, watching the two talk. The owl heard every word, and understood every word they said.

The snowy owl didn't look very happy, as it took off from the window, and cawed into the crisp midday air.

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Gothic: Whew, that took it out of me for the evening. I've updated my lookup! There's two new stories! One you could read, even if you're not a Beyblade fan! My poem, 'Empty', can be based upon any character you feel possible. If you don't fancy Beyblade, then you could use PR characters, or anyone else. Let me know what you think on my updated version of this chappie. If you preferred the old one, let me know. 


	7. Kiss Kiss

Shape Shifters  
  
Gothic: Okay, so I feel kinda better today. I think writing 'Cuts' helped. Trust me, cutting yourself doesn't solve anything, but does make you feel better, and causes a sore arm. Anyhow, back on Shape Shifters, there's going to be a bit of action between Jen and Wes later on. *wink, wink* Should I push the rating up for describing a sex scene, and should I push the rating up for a scene involving sexual activity, but not actual sex? I think I'm gonna change the storyline around a bit! Please guide me here!  
  
Kitty: She's getting there, but this could take a while. Meanwhile, R&R Please! "Talking" {Thinking}  
  
Gothic: I don't own it! I swear I don't own it! But I would recommend reading the updated version of chappie 6 before hand, as this chappie follows on from it! ~+~+~+~+~+~  
  
It wasn't until 2.10pm in the afternoon, before the searching rangers discovered that Wes had found Jen. When they did find out, it was only on the fact that Wes had come back down the stairs, with Jen closely following him. Noticing the dark looks in both their eyes, the rangers took sense in assuming that the two had talked. Katie, Alyssa and Taylor talked out in the hall whilst the others attempted lunch.  
  
"You think that the two of them were talking about the cells?" Whispered Alyssa.  
  
"Well why else would they refuse to tell what happened when Wes found Jen, and more importantly what information Wes learnt from Jen during the discussion." Katie showed clear signs of anger, and both of the other girls shielded away from the outburst.  
  
"What does it matter if Wes found out a few odd bits Jen has to tell? The thing is, the quicker Jen knows she can trust us, the sooner she will open up a bit, and tell us what she knows." Taylor sounded extra serious, and she leant against the wall, eyes closed, and deep in thought.  
  
"It matters a lot what Wes knows!" Katie hissed in reply. " What Jen tells Wes, she may not willingly tell us, and to break the bond between them by forcing Wes to tell us what he knows will shatter every shard of trust Jen has in him. " Katie's anger was rapidly building up, and Alyssa threw several dirty looks in the dark skinned girl's direction.  
  
"Calm down girl! Time will tell whether things will get that bad. A thousand years is a long time to wait though." Taylor's attempt at humour didn't get her very far.  
  
"That is time we cannot waste. Jen's actual condition is unknown yet, and her time in those mental cells could have potentially damaged her mental condition. " Taylor and Alyssa stared at the authority Katie displayed. "This is a situation where we must use every brain cell we have in our heads to get around lies, deceit, and fake covers. There is a lot standing in our way."  
  
The three girls closed their mental ears to each ones thoughts, and the three relaxed for a minute or two. None of them were aware of a certain cat, with black stripes watching them from the stairs above.  
  
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The cold Northern wind whirled through the fur of Alex's hood. He had only come here on the guidance of the Akailo, the guidance that the this prophecy could be prevented, the destiny of things changed. He stumbled through mounds of ice, desperate to get back to his pod. The pod would only take him so far. For the rest of his journey, Alex would have to walk. The pod, in itself, was a ice proof, oval shaped vehicle, designed to plough through the most fearsome of snowstorms, to carry it's passengers to their destination in the freezing cold North, or simply to just carry them through the ice stormed rule of the Poles. He himself, was pleased of the endurance the pod had.  
  
Reaching the shiny metal pod, that had also been designed to repel snow and ice, to ensure easy recognising of the transport, Alex pulled open the door. Stepping inside, he strode to the front of the vehicle, and settled down in the ever so comfy chair that awaited him. In fact, it was more of a chair with several squashy blankets sewn into it for one to cuddle into, than a chair. He pushed the button that would restart the autopilot programme.  
  
Settling down, Alex relaxed, and surveyed the bleak, white covered land in front of him. He took out a notepad, and began to write notes of the mission he had set out upon. He could wait to get to the temple, but it would be a welcoming sight when he got there.  
  
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The lightning crashed through the night, sending waves of terror to few members of the household. Trip almost jumped out of his bed in shock, as thunder shortly followed. Jen felt her breathing come shallow and ragged, as her mind drowned in the unforgotten memories of the mental cell they'd locked her in whilst they thought her mad. It unsurprised her thoughts, as she remembered that they still did think her insane, and yet the thunder and lightning still reminded her of those horrific moments that still stood out in her mind. With a whimper, her lithe body disappeared, and the o so familiar wildcat sprung from the bed, and padded, uneasily, from the room.  
  
The thunder still crashed through the night, followed by flashes of blue lightning that lit up the room for two seconds, then plunged the watcher from the bed into darkness again. Unknowingly, both Wes and Eric were tossing and turning, both unable to sleep. The thunder crashed so loudly at the time, that Wes didn't hear Jen slip into his room.  
  
"Man this is SOOO annoying! Why does it have to thunder and lightning tonight?!?!" Eric tossed in his restless condition, unable to sleep. At least that's what he thought. Gradually, bit by bit, Eric dosed off, and fell into a deep sleep. Else where, Jen was silently making her way across Wes' room. He tossed, and turned, restlessly sitting up now and then, before falling back down to attempt sleep again. She watched his restlessness, and wondered what was wrong.  
  
{Maybe he's just nervous. Or maybe he's aware that I'm here, and, and.}  
  
Jen's line of thought trailed off, and she crept closer. Crouching down, she was about to leapt up, when she heard Wes mumble something. Her sharp cat hearing picked up the words, and she relaxed her muscles to listen for a minute.  
  
"So lonely, want company, why can't Dad just leave me alone for once? Please help me, lonely." It took a few seconds for Jen to realise that Wes had actually drifted off into a restless slumber, and was talking in his sleep. Tensing her muscles again, she crouched, then stretched out and sprang forward, her front paws, then the rest of her body before her back paws, lightly landing upon the bed. Wes jumped out of the restless dose he had been in surprise and shock. Jen merely meowed at him, rubbing her cat body against him.  
  
{Well you said you wanted company. I'm here, aren't I?}  
  
Shock settled into Wes, as he realised that the black striped cat before him was Jen, and the words he had heard just a minute ago, were indeed her thoughts. He blinked for a minute, his still, sitting up figure illuminated every so often when the lightning flashed. Eventually, he stroked Jen's head, softly, before speaking.  
  
"How come I can hear your thoughts?"  
  
{How else am I suppose to communicate with you? It's not as if I can speak you know. A little 'extra' those nice scientists felt they wanted to put in.}  
  
Disgust at her words ran through Wes again. He fell backwards, onto the pillow, and felt Jen carefully pad up towards his head, purring all the way. When she reached him, she rubbed against his head, immense purring somehow drowning out the thunder. She settled down beside him, being careful not to position herself too near to Wes face. He stroked her, and felt her arch her back at the touch of his fingertips. Her fur felt soft, and he gently picked her up with his two hands. He had been on one side, so as to pick up Jen, and he rolled onto his back again, as he gently put Jen down on top of his chest. She purred all the more, slightly digging in her claws, rubbing against his rising chest.  
  
They both fell asleep like that, Wes feeling more comfortable feeling Jen there, and Jen feeling safer from the dangerous world around her being with Wes. It was as if nothing could separate them, no matter what anybody chucked at them.  
  
Eric meanwhile, had eventually drifted off, but nightmares plagued his world. They were filled of the org who had originally sent them here, how they were going to get back, flashes of lightning and claps of thunder. He rolled restlessly from one side of the bed to the other, constantly moving, longing for someone to be there and comfort him. He suddenly saw the org there, the one who had caused all this trouble. It was a vivid view, the creature stretched out, hungry for the kill.  
  
"So hungry.. Must feed.."  
  
Eric jumped out of his bed with shock. For the rest of the night, he sat on the edge of his bed, surveying the storm around him. Swaying slightly, the shadows danced around his figure, the drumbeats of thunder overcame his hearing, and the lightning streaks ripped across the night sky, plaguing fear and horror into his heart. '  
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Daylight met human and cat sleeping together upon the bed. Jen's breathing was silent across the light streaked room, and Wes' deep breath just reached Jen's little cat nose. Her bushy tail swept away from her body and back again in a smooth movement. Her nose sniffed slightly, the warm air tickling it. Jen studied Wes' sleeping face for a minute, then she dug her claws into both of Wes' shoulders. His body lifted away from the bed in pain, and he instinctively held onto Jen's little cat form as he sat up.  
  
"And just what was that for?" Wes moved both his hands to support Jen comfortably. She settled herself into Wes' arms, then suddenly replied.  
  
{Well I had to wake you up somehow. Just my little way of using my claws to my advantage.}  
  
"So that's why your nails were so sharp on that night when we fought you! They were your kitty claws instead!" Wes exclaimed.  
  
{Very good. You get an A+}  
  
"Oh yeah." Wes smiled, and ran his fingers through the soft, thick fur. Jen began to purr, rubbing her head against Wes' chest. She affectionately pushed her cat cheeks against Wes, purring madly all the while. After about 4 minutes of this, Wes carefully motioned for Jen to jump onto the bed again. She obliged, and, being careful not to hurt Wes with her claws, sprang from his arms.  
  
He got up off the bed, leaving Jen to curl up and purr. Destined in a bathroom direction, Wes yawned, and slammed the bathroom door shut behind him. He returned several minutes later to find a human Jen lost in thoughts outside of the bedroom window.  
  
"So we didn't like being a cat all that long then?" Wes exited the bathroom with a bemused look on his face.  
  
"I wanted to stretch a bit. One can get a bit cramped up in that position for so long. Besides," she said whilst turning to face Wes, "I think you prefer it when I talk to you via speech rather than thought." She smiled, and took pleasure in seeing his equally amused expression.  
  
"Well, yes I do kinda prefer speech to thought. I know when you're going to speak." The two laughed, as Wes crossed the room to where Jen was. He carefully wrapped his arms around her waist, and she leant back, resting her head against his chest. They stayed like that for at least 10 minutes, Jen taking in the warmth and the feel of Wes, and Wes exploring the many twists and turns of Jen. It was strange to feel Jen's body with such smallness, and minus the fur. He was shocked however, when Jen began to purr.  
  
"Hey, people can't purr! I thought only actual cats did that." Wes looked at Jen in disbelief.  
  
"I can. I'm part with a cat, so I can be human, cat, or in between. In between means I can purr, I normally have my sharp claws, if I'm angry enough, I'll have my tail and yellow kitty eyes at the ready." It took several minutes for this to settle in, in which time, Jen snuggled back into Wes.  
  
Wes was still hurt at what they had done to Jen. He loved her deeply, and to think that they had deliberately hurt Jen pained him even more. She turned around, so that they embraced.  
  
When they were eventually just facing one another, each ones arms around the other one, Wes couldn't resist the temptation that came next. He leant down, and softly kissed Jen on the lips. He was overjoyed when Jen responded, deepening the kiss. They kissed, passionately, for about 5 minutes, a small, yet noticable fight for dominance, in which Wes won. After this, they pulled apart, both taking in the fact that they had just kissed for the first time ever. A new sort of feeling came over Jen, and she snuggled back into Wes' chest all over again.  
  
For the first time ever, she really felt loved.  
  
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Gothic: Well, that certainly took a while to write! 2,313 words, and it would take 6 pages to print the entire lot out. I have changed the storyline, the differences exactly I will explian in the next chapter. Meanwhile, how did Jen and Wes' first kiss go? I'd love some guidance on the puzzlement I mentioned before the chapter, so please help! 


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